Improvement in griper-motions for printing-machines



2 SheetsmSheet I G. PRESTON. Grper-Moton for Printing-Machines.

N .206,131. fw-#atenten 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. G. PRESTON. (hiper-Motion forPrinting-Machines.

N0. 206,131. gtemed Jul UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE PRESTON, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR 'IO R. HOE & OO., OF NEW YORK, N.Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRIPER-MOTIONS FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,131, dated July 16,1878; application filed January 24, 1878.

To all lwhom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE PRESTON, of the city of Brooklyn, county ofKings, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Griper-Motionsfor Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification:

It has long been desirable to obtain, and it is the object of thisinvention to provide, an automatic mechanism for operating the gripersof printing-machines, the movements of which mechanism and gripers shallbe comparatively noiseless, while their construction is simple andeffective. Attempts have been made to atta-in this end; but they havebeen only partially successful or embodied in complex incohanism.

The accompanying drawings,illustrating my improvement, show, in Figure1, a side elevation of a portion of a printing-machine, the gripersstanding in the open position they occupy just after having delivered asheet to the receiving-cylinder. Fig. 2 is a similar' view, showing thegripers partially closed in the movement they make in seizing a sheet.Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the position of the gripers and theiroperating mechanism after having seized a sheet. Fig. 4 is an endelevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the varying position of t-hegripers in their operation of opening and closing, and Fig. 6 showsparts of the mechanism in detail.

These drawings show so much of a printing machine as is necessary toillustrate the application of my improved griper attachment thereto; andas my improvement is applicable to such machines as have asheet-supporting cylinder, it is, of course, obvious that said cylindermay work in connection with a typecylinder, a reciprocating bed, orother device supporting a printing-surface. Furthermore, it is to beunderstood that my improved griper attachment may be applied to anysheet-carrying cylinder, whether said sheet is to be printed orotherwise manipulated by said cylinder and its co-operatingdevices-such, for instance, as the cylinder forming part of the machineillustrated in the patent granted to S. D. Tucker, December 14, 1875,No. 171,196.

In order to a full understanding of its construction and operation, thisgriper attachment will now be described in its connection with thecylinder of a printing-machine shown in the drawings.

The cylinder 10 is supposed to be the impression-cylinder of aprinting-machine, which cylinder is ordinarily driven by a toothed wheelattached to its shaft 11, and commonly works in connection with areciprocating type-bed. (Not shown.) This cylinder is, however, hereshown as driven by a band, l2, running from a pulley, 13, over adriving-wheel, 20.

A receiving-cylinder, 14, is also shown, the same being located at therear side of the cylinder 10, as is usual, and sets of tapes 15, whichpass around the impression-cylinder 10, over the receiving-cylinder 14,and around a roller, 16, are provided for the purpose of conducting thesheet from the cylinder 10 to the cylinder 14.

The gripers 5 are fast upon a shaft, 3, which turns in bearin gsprovided for it in the heads of the cylinder 10, and also prot-rudesfrom one head of the cylinder, as is common, to facilitate itsconnection with the mechanism which rocks it, and causes the saidgripers to open and close. This shaft 3 is provided with a rock-arm, 1,fast to its projecting end, and standing at right angles to its axis.This rock-arm 1 (preferabl y round) extends through and plays freely inthe socket of a hub, 2, which is pivoted to one end of a lever, 17, soas to turn freely therein.

The lever 17 is jointed at its opposite end by a pivot, 6, fixed in thehead of the cylinder 10 at a point diametrically opposite to thatoccupied by the griper-shaft 3. It.is curved to clear the shaft 11 ofthe cylinder, and is provided near its center with a projecting cam, 7,which co-operates with a stud or tappet, 8, xed to the bearing of thecylinder, so as to always be in proper position with it to cause thelever 17 to vibrate, as will be hereinafter eX- plained.

The lever, when in the position shown in Fig. 3, is sustained by thetension of the spring 19, which thus presses the griper rock-arm 1 intoits foremost position. Consequently the griper-shaft, which it controls,holds the gripers closed, as in said figure, in which position theyclamp the sheet overlying the tapes 15 upon the surface of the cylinder.Vl'hen the said cylinder has so far rotated as to bring the gripers 5opposite to the receiving-cylimler 14, over which the tapes 15 lead thesheet, the cam 7 on the lever 17 will abut against the stud or tappet 8,and the rotation of the cylinder 10 will canse the cam 7 to rock thesaid lever 17 outward, thus pressing back the spring 19, drawing the hub2 rearward, and causing it to oscillate and vibrate the arm 1, to rockthe shaft 3 and open the gripers 5 to release the sheet. While thecylinder 10 continues to rotate, and is carrying the gripers froln thepoint occupied by the receiving-cylinder 14 to that occupied by the endof the feed-table 18, the cam 7 continues to ride upon the surface ofthestud or tappet 8, and the gripcrs remain open, the dilcrcnt positionsthey occupy in this movement being illustrated in Fig. 5.

When they have passed the end of the feed board 18, the lower part ofthecam 7 will pass over the stud or tappet 8, thereby permitting the saidgripers, by the pressure of the spring 19, to close quickly, as in Fig.2, to seize the edge of a sheet lying ready upon the feed-table.

The stud or tappet 8 may, of course, have a friction-roller upon it, andthe cam 7 may be formed upon the lever 17 in a single piece therewith,or be a separate plate adjustable thereon; or the lever 17 may carry thestud, and the cam 7 may be xed to the bearing of the cylinder.

By this improved mechanism the movement of the gripershaft is constantlycontrolled by the spring 19, the cam on the lever 17, and the stud 8, sothat at no time, when opening or closing, are the gripers free todescend unopposed onto the surface of the cylinder 10, strike the sameapercussive blow, and produce the objeetionable noise, as is commonlydone in the ordinary cylinder-press. On the contrary, the movementsofthe lever 17, produced by its controlling-cam 7, stud 8, and spring19, are sueh that it has no free movement, but is constantly controlledby the said mechanisms until the gripers are closed and the said cam haspassed free from its operating-stud S. This griper attachment thereforeoperates in such a manner that it not only efficiently opens and closesthe gripers, but so controls their movements that they descend and seatthemselves upon the cylinder 10 without striking the salue foreibly, andhence without producing any noise.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is- The combination, with the gripershaft 3, of the rock-arm 1,hub 2, and controlling-lever 17, substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribingl witnesses.

GEORGE PRESTON.

\\'itnesses N. WALTER ANTHONY, tnAs. tAnriaNTicn.

